


addiction

by legalityQueen



Series: legend of zelda oneshots [5]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Genre: Addiction, Bad Ending, Drug Addiction, Extended Metaphors, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-16 00:19:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,287
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16943445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legalityQueen/pseuds/legalityQueen





	addiction

_The night came far quicker than I hoped it would. With only three meager days, I cannot afford to sleep. The sun set, and I feel my legs growing heavy. Then my arms. Now I can barely open my eyes. I’ll rest in the marketplace. There’s an alcove I can sit in._

. . 

”Hey kid, you alright?? You look a bit beat up, haha!”

_An unknown voice. Too enthusiastic, too powerful, too loud. I open my eyes._

_Some salesman is the owner of that obnoxious sound. His face lights up as my eyes meet his._

“I’m not sure how long you’ve been out for, but it seemed like quite the nap! Time is precious these days, I’m telling ya. Sleeping is such a waste, dontcha think?”

_I look at him, studying his face. I suppose he’s speaking about the moon. I can relive these days as many times as I want, but that’s not true for him. He’ll be gone soon._

_Time is even more precious to him than it is to me._

”Ya know... if you’re concerned about the time, I have something you might be interested in. Just an offer, of course, but I think you might like it!”

_His persistent energy won’t be dimming anytime soon. However, I am interested in what he has to say. Even though time is less precious to me, I still need to make the best use of it that I can._

_He leads me into his shop. Of course, he wants to sell me something. I shouldn’t have expected any less. He goes into the back room. For someone who seems to be preaching about time, he sure is wasting a lot of mine. Sounds of clattering and falling and breaking. Sounds I probably shouldn’t be hearing— all coming from wherever he’s disappeared to._

_The shopkeeper waddles back out to the counter. He’s holding a mask. It looks like some torture device, full of spindling wires and needles and terrifying pieces on the eye openings. I look at him in disbelief._

”This beaut’ here is my amazing invention! I call it: the All-Night Mask! You put it on your face and I guarantee you won’t be able to sleep, no matter what! No more struggling to stay awake while the moon looms over us! Make the most out of your last days!”

_I look at his face again. His yelling grates on my ears terribly, but I can’t ignore his offer. He’s probably lying, but what if this works? I’m trying to watch his body language for any sight of lies, and as usual, I can’t read him at all. Cursing myself internally, I grab my wallet from my bag._

”Ah, I see you’re interested! There is a small caveat though. This here mask is extremely valuable, and as such, I can’t sell it to you. I will, however, rent it out. Also, it runs on a limited power supply, so I’ll have to charge you for how long you want it to work. My starting price is 100 rupees starting fee, with an additional 20 for each hour you want it to stay on. Of course, if you damage it, y-u’ll h-v- -o...”

_I’m no longer listening to him. I don’t need to worry about these trivia details. I shell out 160 rupees. Three hours will be more than enough to tell if this thing actually works._

. .

_I hear my heart beating in my ears. Never before have I been so energized during the night. My whole body sings of progression, work, cutting down foes, doing what I must. I clear out an encampment in a nearby town before my three hours are up. I go to bring back the mask._

_Have the townsfolk always been so irritating? They seem to mill around right in my way. It’s nighttime, people, so why are you here? Is your aim to annoy me? I push my way past an old man and he falls onto the ground. I keep walking._

_I give the mask back to the shopkeeper. He smiles at me, with a strange, aged look. Like he knows something I don’t. What a prick. I’m the hero in this story, and it’s my time to shine. Just because he made some mask doesn’t mean he can act all intelligent._

. .

_I don’t know how many days it has been. I go to visit the shopkeeper again. Lately I need to spend more on this stupid mask. If it keeps me awake, I don’t mind how much I have to pay. My productivity has been way up. This is all worth it, obviously._

_I hand over 300 rupees. This is enough to get me through the night. He smiles back at me as I hand over the currency._

_I’ll never be used to how amazing this mask is. When I first saw it, full of sharp angles and needles and foreign contraptions, I was worried it would hurt. Quite the opposite, actually. It feels  
w o n d e r f u l._

_The stinging and the heart-pounding adrenaline and the prick of tears all make me feel so alive. The air whistles past me and I’m happy with my purchase. Off to do more business. Off to be more productive than I ever could’ve been without it._

. .

_I spend so much on this mask now. I started to realize that if I didn’t wear it during the day, too, I’d fall asleep. 580 rupees a day. That’s my bill._

_I asked the shopkeeper if I could have a discount, since I come to his shop so often. Then I remembered that he has no clue who I am. Every three days, I’m just some new kid wandering into town from his point of view._

_I smashed his clock in frustration. There goes another 500 rupees._

_I feel that every piece of wind irritates me. Every word, every glance, every sound. My sense jump at everything and I wish it would stop bothering me. I wish the townsfolk would stop bothering me. I wish it could all go mute._

. .

_Today I went to the bank for my usual withdrawal. 580 rupees. Enough to keep me awake and moving. Enough to keep me functioning._

_The bank teller stared at me with a strange look on his face._

”580 rupees? You’ve got less than 20 in your account. Come back when you have the funds you’re actually looking for.”

_Not enough funds? How will I pay for the mask, then?_

_The shopkeeper denied my pleas. It looks like I’ll have to go without it today. I make my way to the alley I dozed off in so many weeks ago. I’m shivering. No, shaking. My entire body feels sick. My head hurts. I’m incredibly tired, and yet, I can’t sleep. It hurts too much. I can’t even  
for_

_. m_

_. - *_

_. ._

__The night came far quicker than I hoped it would. With only a few meager days, I cannot afford to sleep. The sun set, and I feel my legs growing heavy. Then my arms. Now I can barely open my eyes. I’ll check the marketplace. There’s usually at least one kid there I can speak with._ _

__I stopped thinking about morality awhile ago. I can’t afford to even spend time thinking about that stuff. I need to rent these masks out._ _

__If I don’t, I can’t afford to wear my own. I am but a humble shopkeeper, after all._ _

__I see a small boy dressed in green. He’s asleep in an alcove, covered from head to toe in adventuring gear. I can tell he didn’t fall asleep of his own accord. He’ll be perfect._ _

__**If I don’t sell the masks, I’ll fall too.** _ _


End file.
